It is said that parents' love for their children is indestructible. Yes, when one has a child, one is destined to take care of him, not out of duty but out of instinct. We love it, we protect it, we nourish it, we allow it to flourish and we care about its well-being, both physical and material. There is nothing that can stop this flow of love that floods our body and our mind.
As the saying goes: little children, little worries, big kids, big worries. In fact, parents continue to worry about their children even when they become adults. A study in this direction was conducted by Amber J. Seidel of Pennsylvania State University and was published in The Journal of Gerontology. It was discovered at the end of this study that parents continued to lose their sleep out of concern for their children, even adults.
For this purpose, a sample of 186 persons was the subject of this research and a scale between 1 to 8 was used to determine the kind of support that parents provide to their children. This scale includes daily or yearly support, ranging from daily and emotional conversations to financial support provided by parents.
It has been shown that the quality of a father's sleep drops considerably when he is alone in supporting his children, but in the case where the mother was present, this did not change the number of hours of sleep. On the other hand, the mother, even with the father's support, continued to be concerned about her adult children and as a result her sleep was disturbed.
This shows that the stress generated by adult children and leading to a deficiency in the quality of sleep is different in the father and the mother.
In addition, this study highlighted the involvement of parents in the daily life of their children. Smartphone technology has made it easier for parents who stay connected with their children as often as possible, on the lookout for news.
This attitude can create permanent stress in the mother and make her sleep, if she discovers that her child has problems. The father is also not spared by this stress, which for his part is obliged to be physically present to provide help to his child if necessary.
It is undeniable that parents' stress is normal and comprehensive, yet how to manage it is important.
For this purpose, the researcher Amber J. Seidel, believes that there are many ways for parents to deal with this stress. She also recommends reflecting on the motivations of parents to be constantly present for their children. Indeed, she argues that the time has come to let the child live his own experience of life and let him face his difficulties alone. This, so that parents learn from their side to let go and find a more peaceful and less stressful life.
His advice is to take the following steps to reduce the parents' concern and help them find a healthy life.
Eat balanced and exercise regularly
To reduce stress, there is nothing better than eating healthy and exercising. Not only will this lengthen your years of life, but you can be there to help your children and even your grandchildren.
Ban alcohol and caffeine and any drug dependence
Indeed, these substances will only increase your level of stress and therefore reduce your quality of sleep.
Get help from a friend or therapist
Do not we say that having a coffee with a friend could be the best therapy! Indeed, you entrust to a friend and especially if he lives the same situation that you could help reduce your stress. If this is not the case, a therapist's advice will be very helpful.
Take some time for yourself
Take care of yourself and it's only fair after the years you've been caring for your children. It's time to pay attention to your body and mind, enjoying life, traveling and spending the time you need for your well-being and happiness.
